Game-board



H. L. HASKELL.

(No Model.)

v GAME BOARD. .No. 602,180

Patented Apr. 12,1898.

INVENTOR WITNESSES Ji i I NITED STATES PATENT FFIC.

IIENRY L. HASKELL, on LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN.

'GAM E -BoARo-f SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,180, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed March 6, 1897.

' citizen of the United States, residing at Ludington, in the county of Mason and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of games in which disks are impelled across a board having pockets for the reception of the disks.

The object'of the invention is to provide a game demanding more skill than is required by other games of its class, the skill of a player having full opportunity for exercise in the delicate measuring of force required to send a disk just so far and no farther and to maintain the proper relations between the several disks; and the invention consists, essentially, of a board surrounded by a cushioned rim and having a central pocket and corner-pockets and other details hereinafter particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the board; Fig.

2, a detail section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 3, a broken section of the board on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. r V

The game-board has as its essential features a fiat board or face F, a rim G, surrounding the face and projecting above and below the plane of the face, a central pocket 13, cornerpockets J, and base-lines A. The face F is preferably composed of veneers of polished wood with an interposed filling, the grains preferably running in different directions to' prevent warping or splitting, and the edges of the face preferably lying in grooves in the fierial No. 626,281. (No model.)

face F, and a receptacle, in this instance of felt, slung beneath the opening. The pocket B has above it a ring-frame D, which may be joined to or integral with posts, which are secured to the face of the board just outside the opening, in this instance by means of bolts passing from below into a portion of the legs of the frame D, fitting perforations in the face F, and held by rivets E. The bottom of the pocket B swings from a wire secured between the nuts E and the bottom of the face F by washers E. The frame D has at the under edge of its central opening slender lugs D, which carry a wire G, which sustains a curtain C. It is the function of this curtain C to deflect an inaccurate shot and at the same time to prevent a disk from crossing the pocket or leaping from the pocket once it has entered. Theposts of the frame D are covered with rubber, so that a disk will be thrown away at an uncertain angle if permitted to strike one of the posts. I have ascertained by experiment that with rubber cushions the angle of incidence is not equal .to that of refraction in playing the game. For this reason I use the rubber on the parts which should be avoided by skilful playing and felt where an accurate carom is properly derived.

Attached to the rim of the board is a beveled felt cushion H, preferably triangular in cross-section, the apex being arranged to be struck by the playing-disks. The shape and material of this cushion are the result of careful study to attain the best results with disks.

The action of disks is essentially different from that of balls, andI have found by study and experiment that the best results are attained by a cushion of the character described and bearing substantially the relation to the disks shown in the accompanying drawings.

In playing the game each player takes disks and each in turn attempts to shoot or snap from within one of the bases marked by the lines A, so that a disk may lodge within a space J on the opposite side of the board. A successful shot may, for example, be counted five. The opposing player attempts to dislodge his opponent and put his .opponents no disk out of the game by forcing it into the central pocket, success scoring for him, for

example, two, and five more if he be able to retain his own disk in the same pocket, While the disks remaining in the small squares may be counted out, if desired. For all the disks left in the side pockets some credit-say two may be given, one being counted for each disk left on the board and not placed in the central pocket. The central pocket is thus a vital feature, and the felt curtain plays an important part in requiring an accuratelymeasured side blow or carom to prevent the deflection of a disk and yet serving to retain a disk once in and preventing skipping across the pocket, so that a player must avoid the pocket with his own disks or suffer loss.

The playing of the game requires the frequent uses of caroms and bank-shots, and for this I have especially devised the cushion H and located and formed it to produce the best results.

It is obvious that the game may be governed by a system of rules in general accord with my previous suggestions, but subject to many variations of detail.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a game-board, the combination of a face, a central pocket-opening, a frame supported by posts on the face and surrounding the pocket-opening, a curtain depending from the frame and guarding the pocket-opening, a bottom for the pocket, and means for securing the posts of the frame and the bottom of the pocket, substantially as described.

2. In a game-board, the combination of a face, a projecting rim, lines running parallel with the rim and crossing near the corners to form squares, depressions in the said squares, and a central pocket having an opening guarded by a curtain, substantially as de-' scribed.

3. In a game-board, the combination of a face, a projecting rim, base-lines, cornerface, a projecting rim, corner-pockets, acentral opening in the face forming the mouth of the pocket, a frame projecting from the face and surrounding the mouth of the pocket, a curtain hung from the frame and extending into the mouth of the pocket, a fabric forming a bottom for the pocket, a set of legs supporting the frame and passing through the face of the board, and means for securing the legs and the bottom of the pocket to the board, substantially as described.

5. In a game-board, a face, a series of baselines and a pocket between the base-lines for the retention of surface projectiles, having a curtain or fringe suspended above and encircling the inner side of the pocket-opening, substantially as described.

6. In a game-board, the combination of a face, base-lines, a pocket within the baselines, a frame above the pocket, and a curtain or fringe depending from the frame into the mouth of the pocket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY L. IIASKELL.

Vitnesses:

O. E. MITCHELL, JOHN A. MITCHELL. 

